Four new fire stations have opened south of Interstate 20 in and around Grovetown and Harlem since July.

The Grovetown Depart-ment of Public Safety held a grand opening for its newest Friday.

“It’s awesome,” Director Gary Owens said of the station on Harlem-Grovetown Road in front of Ashland Commons. The nearly $1 million station replaces the downtown station on Robinson Avenue next to the Grovetown Senior Center.

The Columbia County Teacher of the Year will be named Thursday at the school system’s annual banquet.

The five finalists are Norm Cox, a history teacher at Lakeside High School; Mandy Guley, a third-grade teacher at River Ridge Elementary; Katie Holmes, a first-grade teacher at Baker Place Elementary; Angie McDaniel, a third-grade teacher at Stevens Creek Elementary and Barry O’Neill, a science teacher at Greenbrier High.

The Columbia County Amateur Series finale show will go on rain or shine Thursday.

After postponing the finale date once due to bad weather, event organizers moved the talent show indoors to the Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center, inside the Columbia County Library in Evans.

“We can guarantee that it takes place,” said county Rental Facilities and Venues Manager Sandy Boner.

Strong storms kept the September finale from taking place at the Lady Antebellum Pavilion, but the five competing acts are still ready for their moment in the spotlight.

Former Columbia County Commissioner Scott Dean’s adopted daughter and another woman have been indicted for burglarizing Dean’s wife’s home and selling jewelry stolen there, according to court documents released Thursday.

A grand jury indicted Marlin Azucena Dean, 19, of Ansley Court in Martinez, and Eva Lopez-Macais Nevarez on a burglary charge. Dean also was indicted on a charge of theft by receiving stolen property.

Harlem is inviting all Laurel and Hardy fans to the city Saturday to celebrate the more rotund half of the comedic duo.

The 24th annual Oliver Hardy Festival begins with opening ceremonies at 9 a.m. and a parade through downtown Harlem at 10 a.m. The parade begins on Milledgeville Road at Starling Funeral Home and continues onto Louisville Road to West Forrest Street to Harlem Middle School.

“Hopefully we’ll have great weather,” said Robin Root, a volunteer event organizer.

Columbia County’s annual Columbus Day celebration is taking an antique turn with the addition of a celebrity speaker.

Paul Brown, the owner of Gallery 63 in Sandy Springs, Ga., and star of the Discovery Channel’s Auction Kings, will be the special guest at the fifth annual Columbus Day Antique and Art Festival on Saturday. The festival runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Evans Towne Center Park.

“I thought it might be a different flavor for the festival,” said Virginia Atkins, the county community events specialist organizing the event.

Population increases led a pair of decisions at Tuesday’s Columbia County Commission meeting.

To meet the needs of people living near the Riverwood development in Evans and in the Wrightsboro Road area near Grovetown, a proposal was made to extend the stormwater service area to include approximately 673 additional parcels of property. It was the first reading of the resolution and all commissioners present – Commissioner Trey Allen was in Atlanta on state business – approved. The resolution will be read a second time at the Oct. 16 meeting.